The Emptiness Within
by Amy Ehren
Summary: Ash's Pikachu was kidnapped, tortured, and sent to him in a box. Gary returns to Pallet Town, unaware, to challenge Ash. What he finds is what he never expected from Ash. Palletshipping; slash; non-con; violence; strong language


A/N: Alright, so I don't own Pokemon… It would be much different. Hehe. :3 Anyways, this story contains violence, gore, non-/dub-con (I'm not entirely sure what it is. o_O), slash, and swearing. If you have a problem with that, please don't read or if you do read, don't flame. All others: Enjoy and review!

The Emptiness Within

Ash Ketchum had changed. A year ago, you would have seen a smiling, good-natured boy who was always with his Pikachu. He had been close to the top. Then, Team Rocket had finally accomplished the task they'd been trying at since he started his quest: kidnapping Pikachu. For the first three months, Ash tried desperately to get him back. After he broke both arms in one of his rescue attempt, he'd been forced to give it up. Now, after a year, he had withdrawn. The only person he entertained any contact with was his mom.

Dark circles surrounded his eyes as he sat on his bed, reading something or other, barely registering what was happening on the pages. A soft knock on his door made him glance up. He offered no reply to whoever was there. His mom, he figured. She would just come in; she was used to his silence. Sure enough, it was Delia.

"Ash? There's a package for you outside. It doesn't have a return address on it, so I don't know who it's from. But it has you name on it," she said, walking over and placing her hand on the top of his head. "Who knows, maybe it'll be something great, sweetheart. It was pretty big, so maybe it'll be some sort of machine to cheer you up." She smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Thanks, mom," Ash mumbled, his voice sounding strange to himself from months of disuse. As Delia walked out, Ash stood up. Anyone who had known him would be shocked at how much weight he had lost. His ribs were visible under his skin, and the formerly snug clothes he wore now hung off his body like sheets. His pants were held on by a belt that wrapped three times around his waist to keep it from dragging behind him. His eyes completely lacked any life. The formerly glittering, eager, dark eyes were now merely blank and expressionless. They were like a dead person's.

Ash walked out his front door, noting the package at the base of the stairs. It was rather large, he thought. His mom hadn't been lying about the size of the package. He regarded it carefully. No return address was rather suspicious. He didn't like the idea of not knowing who sent him something. Not that he would send a thank-you card or even acknowledge it, but he still wanted to know. He picked up the package and was startled by how light a package of that size was. He had expected it to be much heavier, especially if it was a machine of sorts. Now his interest was really piqued.

Glancing upwards, he noticed that the sky was full of grey clouds that looked ready to burst. He would have to open the package now to ensure that it didn't get ruined in the rain. He wasn't going to bring it inside; better to be away from his mother. If he went inside, she would surely hover over his shoulder as he opened it. Perhaps it was private, for his eyes only.

He sat down on the lowest step and began to unwrap the package. At a whiff of some awful smell from the package, he grimaced and coughed. What exactly could smell like that? Did someone send him raw meat or some food that spoiled easily? He found a second layer of packaging paper, and ripped it off. Now, there was a large box, and the smell was getting worse. Ash felt bile rising up in this throat at the smell, and he had an awful feeling. He peeled the tape off the package and opened the box.

Ash turned and vomited. He vomited up everything that had been in his stomach, and began to dry heave painfully. The smell had been in the package, and he hadn't even really gotten a glimpse of what it was, but it was bad enough to make him vomit. He turned back to the package with trepidation, making sure not to breathe through his nose. What he saw was even worse than the smell. The lining of the box was stained with blood, and there were multiple, smaller boxes inside, all of which were soaked with blood. With trembling fingers, he took out the smallest box and opened it. Out fell ten small claws. That should have warned Ash, but as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

He was going in size order of the boxes, and the next one was worse. Two shining black eyeballs were inside, and Ash dropped the box with a shocked disgust. Who was sick enough to send him something like this? Now he was beginning to regret opening the package. Only two boxes remained: a long box, and a large square box. Upon opening the long box, his eyes widened and he realized what he had been sent. Tears began to stream down his face. He knew what was in the bigger box now, yet he felt he needed to see it.

He set down the long box containing a Pikachu's tail, moving to the larger box. He opened it, confirming his fears. The tortured body of his beloved Pikachu lay inside, bloody, incomplete, and mangled. Deep gashes covered his back and sides, and his front had been cut open for dissection. Alongside Pikachu, his organs had been arranged neatly, his tiny heart next to his lungs and stomach. Ash screamed, letting out pain, sorrow, guilt, hatred, and many other emotions as he carefully picked up his best friend. The silent tears turned to wracking sobs, his entire body shaking. Delia came to the door to see what was wrong. Upon the sight, she covered her mouth and dashed back inside.

Ash cradled the bloody body close to his chest, getting still-drying blood on himself. He had been killed recently. Team Rocket had done this, and were twisted enough to send him the body. They would pay for it someday, and he would do exactly what they had done to his Pikachu. They had scarred him deeply, tearing away the part of him that had been the most important to him.

Ash placed everything back in the largest box, standing and closing the box. He went around to the back of the house and found a shovel. Returning to the front of the house, he picked up the box and began to walk towards the forest around the boundaries of Pallet Town. Walking between the trees, he found a large enough spot that was absent of trees to make a suitable burial area. He began digging into the ground roughly, the tears still flowing freely. As he dug, he grunted angrily with each time the shovel penetrated the earth. He didn't notice the Rattata that had gathered around behind trees to watch, each of them privately mourning.

When Ash had finally dug a deep enough hole, he dropped the shovel from his hands. The wooden handle of the shovel had left deep splinters in the flesh of the palms and fingers. Blood ran from them as he pulled them out. It was nothing compared to what Pikachu had gone through. He opened the box and picked up Pikachu delicately. He carefully placed the electric mouse's body in the hole he'd made, and put the other boxes' contents alongside the body. The observing number of creatures had grown, and each of them had seen the day that Ash had met Pikachu. Each cried their own tears, remembering how close the two had been.

Ash replaced the dirt he had shoveled away, and looked around for something to act as a suitable headstone. A large rock would suffice, he thought. A brave Rattata startled him when it ventured to the rock and began to carve it into the shape of Pikachu. Ash patted the Rattata awkwardly in thanks and moved the sculpture to the burial spot. Collapsing to his knees, Ash buried his face in his hands and sobbed harder than ever, now that he knew his Pikachu was truly gone, never to quest with him again.

"I'm so sorry," he sobbed, letting out a final, heart-wrenching scream as the angry rainclouds overhead burst and began to pour their tears down on him, and the Rattata from before curled up, snuggling its head into his legs, trying to comfort him.

-X-X-X- Two years later… -X-X-X-

Gary Oak was back in town. He looked over Pallet Town with a smirk. Not much had changed in the five or so years he'd been left for a second time. The now nineteen-year-old researcher/trainer was actually looking forward to see how his old rival had improved. It was certainly time for a rematch against the one he'd been training to beat for most of the time he'd been gone. He knew Ash had been in Pallet for a while, but he could only assume he'd been training. He boldly walked up to the door of Ash's house and knocked.

When the door opened, Gary expected it to be Ash, but it was Delia. She looked somewhat nervous.

"Oh, Gary, hello," she said, looking from side to side. "Are you looking for Ash?"

"Yeah, I am. I want to challenge him to a battle," Gary replied nonchalantly, tossing his auburn hair out of his face.

"Um… You should look in the forest for Ash. He may not be what you expect, though," she cautioned sadly, her eyes downcast. Gary noted her expressions, but chose not to comment.

"Thanks!" he said with a smile, walking into the forest. His smile faded as he mulled over Delia's expressions in his mind. What exactly had happened to make her that way when she spoke about Ash? Usually, she'd be brimming with pride over her son. Now, she just looked like she was going to cry.

Gary avoided walking into the trees as he looked out for Ash. Wandering, he noticed a figure dressed entirely in black kneeling in a very small clearing. He stared at the person for a moment before realizing it was Ash. He snorted softly.

'Ashy-boy is goth now? A long-sleeved black shirt, black cargo pants and combat boots? Not Ash. Never. He was always the one to be the happiest,' Gary thought, a little taken aback.

"Hey, Ashy-boy," Gary said loudly. Ash turned his head to look at the person who had intruded on his solitude, on his place of getting away from it all.

"Gary. What the fuck do you want?" Ash snarled, standing up. Gary started at the violence in his voice, and at how skinny the other boy was now. He didn't look healthy at all; he looked gaunt and haggard, although he was clean-shaven. The boy's hair was lanky and long, covering one eye.

"Ashy-boy, what the hell happened to you?" Gary asked, shocked.

"Don't call me that," Ash growled, glaring at the auburn-haired intruder.

"What, Ashy-boy? I like calling you that," Gary said somewhat aggressively, a spark of his cockiness returning, now that the initial shock was over.

"I told you," Ash began, walking closer, "DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" The yell was punctuated by a punch from Ash that sent Gary reeling backwards. Gary, now angry, looked around.

"Where's that little yellow rat that was always with you?" he asked tauntingly, hoping to enrage Ash into a battle. Ash's fists clenched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. Flicking the blade out, Ash advanced closer to Gary. Gary didn't notice the tears that welled up in Ash's eyes. He still cried over his friend, even after two years.

"Leave, Gary, now," Ash murmured, pointing the knife at the surprised boy.

"What the fuck happened?" Gary asked softly.

"I said LEAVE, goddammit! Just fucking leave!" Ash screamed, and Gary turned and ran from his deranged former friend.

Gary ran as fast as he could until he reached Ash's house. He beat the door with his fist.

"Delia! Please! I need to talk to you!" he cried, pounding on the door until it opened. Delia sighed softly.

"Come in, Gary. I'm guessing you found Ash," she said, and it was not a question. "Well, come into the kitchen." Gary followed the woman and sat down at the table. She took a seat across from him.

"Delia, what happened to Ash? What I saw scared me enough to make me lose my arrogance," Gary admitted softly. "I brought up Pikachu and he pulled a knife on me…"

"Gary…" Delia sighed. "Did you ever hear that Pikachu was kidnapped by Team Rocket three years ago? No, I suppose you were somewhere else. Well, he spent three months trying to retrieve him, and at one point, both his arms were broken, and he was forced to give up his search."

"That's awful. Is that why he was so upset when I asked him about it?" Gary asked.

"Well, two years ago, Ash received a package. I told him to go open it, because I thought it would cheer him up, but…" Delia began to cry. "I went outside when I heard a scream as he opened it, and Team Rocket had send Pikachu's body, cut into pieces and dissected!" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed openly. After a few minutes, and several hiccupping gasps, she said, "Now, he spends all of his time at Pikachu's grave. That's where he always is. He only ever comes home if he's going to faint from hunger…" Gary waited to see if she would say anything else, but she was finished.

"I'm so sorry, Delia. It must be hard on you, to see him like that," Gary said softly. Delia looked at him, hysteric disbelief written on her face.

"Hard on me? It was my fault he opened that package! If he hadn't, I could have kept him in bed, and maybe he would have gone out again to search, to keep his mind off of everything! But now, all he does is keep to himself and hurt anyone who intrudes on his mind," she said softly. She pulled back her sleeve, showing a long, thin scar down her arm. "When I told him he needed to move on, he did this. Even though he hurt me, I love him. He's my son! I won't stop loving him because something happened that hurt him. That's when he needs my love the most."

"Delia, let me try to help him through. I know I wasn't exactly the nicest person to him, but I genuinely liked him. He's a strong trainer with a great personality. Now, I think he's lost his motivation and what inspired him to be the person he was. Maybe I can give him the motivation again," Gary suggested, laying down his arrogance.

"Just be careful. He may not be too thrilled with you or your attempts. But thank you, Gary," she replied, a sad smile on her face.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Ash lay curled, asleep, at the Pikachu statue that marked his grave. It was the first time he'd managed to sleep in days. He hadn't expected Gary to show up again, and it had been exhausting to get angry. But he had been a jerk, and Ash wasn't going to deal with that. He still couldn't completely deal with the idea that Pikachu was gone and any little thing could set him off. He still felt guilty about what had happened; he should have tried harder to rescue his friend.

Gary walked towards his sleeping friend, if he could even call him a friend anymore. They had been good friends until they both started their journeys, and then Gary had really lost his friendliness towards Ash, though he never intended to hurt the other. The desire to be the best had gotten the better of him, and he'd been an asshole. He sighed, sitting down near Ash's head. Although Ash slept, he didn't appear at all peaceful. He seemed pained.

The auburn-haired boy turned towards the carving of Pikachu. He ran his hand over the stone, a sad smile crossing his face.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu. I can't imagine what you went through at the hands of Team Rocket, and I fucked up in blatantly asking Ash where you were. I know Ash doesn't think I understand, but if I were to lose my Umbreon, I don't think I would be unlike him," Gary said softly, biting his lip to keep back tears that threatened.

"No, you wouldn't understand it," Ash growled, having been woken by Gary's little speech. "You have no fucking clue what I'm going through! Even if you lost Umbreon, you wouldn't understand. Pikachu was closer to me than anything was, and you never had a connection with your Pokemon like I did. All you cared about was winning! I cared about actually making friends with them along the way, and now I've been paying the goddamn price for it. Are you happy? You've turned out better than me! You still have a will to train, you still have your best friend! Fuck you, Gary Oak, because you still have what I lost." By this point, Ash was standing, tears streaming down his face. "And I can't forgive you for that happiness. At least my mother lost her happiness when I lost mine, so I don't have to see it in her. If I don't deserve to be happy, I don't see why anyone should!" Ash yelled, moving behind Gary. He drew his switchblade and pressed it to Gary's throat.

"Ash, I'm sorry for what I said earlier! I didn't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you along the way, it's just…" Gary paused, a little unsure of admitting that he was in the wrong. The pressure of the knife on his throat made him continue. "I wanted to be better than you, so you would admire me. I admired the way you could make connections with Pokemon and befriend them in almost no time. I was jealous, and it made me a total asshole. But now that I'm here, I want to save you from what happened to you. You can still be a great person, but there will always be that hole in your soul where Pikachu was. You just have to find other ways to fill it. Please Ash, don't let this be who you are," Gary pleaded. He laughed a little, a hysteric, humorless laugh. "For a while, I thought I might have liked you as in, I wanted to hold your hand, kiss you, and make you smile! But now, you've changed enough where I don't think I even want to be associated with you, unless I can help you change. Please, let me help you, Ash."

Gary had never thought he would admit everything. He had never intended to even think about his crush on Ash, but he needed to try everything to get him out of his shell and back to the old Ash Ketchum. The pressure of the knife on his neck lessened, and he took the opportunity to twist to face Ash. He placed a hand on either of Ash's shoulders. Ash's eyes had a flash of emotion in them, a sad, guilty realization, but as soon as it was there, his eyes lost their emotion and hardened to anger.

"Who the fuck gave you the right to barge into my life and try to 'fix' me? Who said I even need fixing? WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU TO DO ANYTHING?" Ash bellowed, slapping Gary away and shoving him down onto the ground so that he hovered over him. "I don't need your help, and I don't need your fucking affection! You want to know what it felt like for me? I'll break you the way I broke, and I won't let you stop me," Ash whispered, narrowing his eyes. Gary's eyes filled with fear. Despite all the times he'd been attacked by wild Pokemon, nothing had made him this worried for his life.

Ash brought the knife near to Gary's chest and split his shirt, the blade grazing the skin on his chest. The black-haired boy stared at the cut he'd made, and traced it again, this time applying pressure to the knife. Gary screamed in pain and began to flail against Ash. Ash took the torn shirt and tied Gary's wrists around the Pikachu sculpture, which was, by now, sunk deep into the ground and impossible to move.

"Ash, stop, please! You don't know what you're doing," Gary pleaded, holding back tears of pain. Ash made no reply, simply backhanding Gary's face. Gary began to try to kick Ash, but the knife began to penetrate his skin again. He froze as the knife swirled around his nipples, and to his horror, he felt himself getting turned on. Ash stared down at the blood running from the cuts he'd made. He leaned down and licked the blood off, digging his tongue into the little valleys he'd made. Gary gritted his teeth in pain, but arched into the other boy. Ash's hand made its way to Gary's crotch, where he froze, laughing a little.

"Who would have thought Gary Oak was a fucking masochist?" Ash mused with an amused smirk. "Well, don't worry. I won't be gentle."

Gary winced a little as Ash roughly pulled his pants down, cutting his skin with the belt buckle. Ash put down the knife, gripping Gary's hips and scraping his nails along the soft flesh. Blood ran from the newly made scratches, marring the white of Gary's legs. He dug his nails into the inner parts of Gary's thighs, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the auburn-haired male. Ash pushed Gary's legs back until Gary felt his spine would break.

"I'm not that fucking flexi—AGHHH!" Gary's statement was cut short by a painful crack. It wasn't broken, just painful and probably sprained. Ash unzipped his pants and, with no preparation, thrust himself into Gary. Gary screamed, feeling the delicate tissue and muscles tearing. Blood ran from his ass, lubricating the movements Ash made, viciously thrusting in and out. Tears ran down Gary's face as he felt larger tears being made.

Gary felt no relief when Ash pulled himself out and zipped his pants up. He picked his knife up, untied Gary, and walked away, night falling over the forest. Gary lay immobile; his spine hurt too badly, as well as everything else. Blood stained the grass around his body, and tears streamed down his face. Ash had changed too much. He had never imagined the sweet boy would turn into what he was.

-X-X-X- Next Morning… –X-X-X-

Ash slowly made his way to Pikachu's grave for the day. The memory of what he'd done the day before burned in his mind, and he fervently hoped he'd never see Gary again. His rage had taken hold of him and he'd forgotten who he was. This guilt added on to the guilt over Pikachu's death, and Ash was beginning to wonder why he even bothered staying alive anymore. Nearing Pikachu's grave, Ash saw that there was someone there, lying on the ground.

"Oh fuck… Gary?" Ash cried, dashing towards the figure. Gary lay, still in his own blood, barely breathing. "Shit, Gary, I'm so sorry."

Gary was unconscious, having fainted from blood loss. Ash picked up his old friend, pulling his pants back on. The whole time, Ash swore under his breath, cursing himself for doing that to his friend. He carried Gary carefully, making his way to Viridian; there was a Pokemon center there he could take Gary to. God, he'd fucked up more than he ever had before. He knew it was time to change and move on. Who else had he unknowingly hurt? The thought pained him.

"A-ash?" Gary had woken up, and saw Ash's determined face.

"I'm taking you to Viridian Pokemon Center. I'm so sorry for what I did to you, Gary," Ash said softly. "I understand if you never forgive me." Gary stayed silent, not wanting to pursue conversation in his current state. Not long after, Gary had passed out again, his breathing shallow and uneven.

Exhausted and out of breath, Ash finally arrived at the Center, pushing past people to get to Nurse Joy. Joy dropped the files she was holding upon sight of Gary.

"Please, save him, he's lost a lot of blood," Ash gasped, and Nurse Joy beckoned him into an operating room.

"What happened to him?" she asked, amazed at the injuries she could see. Ash swallowed thickly, afraid to respond with the truth.

"I… hurt him. He said something that made me lose track of myself and I hurt him," he said softly. Joy looked at him, shocked.

"_You _hurt him? But I've never known you to do anything like this," she said, setting up a blood transfusion. She rapidly checked the records to make sure she gave him the correct blood type, and placed the needle in his vein. The blood began to flow into his arm, much to the relief of Ash. Joy set to work on bandaging him.

"Do you remember three years ago, when my Pikachu was kidnapped?" Ash asked, a little unsure of whether or not he should talk about everything or not. Joy nodded.

"You came in after having broken both your arms," she said, tightly binding Gary's chest.

"Well, two years ago, a year after he was kidnapped, I was sent his body, in pieces, and cut up, in a package," Ash said, his breathing becoming ragged as he held back tears. Ash explained brokenly how he'd felt, and what had happened with Gary. He left out that he had raped him, but he knew there would be no hiding the fact. Joy noticed the scratches that were visible above Gary's pants, and she embarrassedly pulled down his pant and gasped.

"You did this to him?" she asked, aghast. Ash nodded mutely, ashamed.

"If I could take it back, I would. I lost control and hurt him beyond belief. I can't believe I did it," he said.

"I'm obligated to turn you in to Officer Jenny, but I don't want you to be stuck up in a cell," she said softly. "When Gary wakes up, it will be up to him whether or not I turn you in. If he wants you in jail, I'm afraid I have to send you to her."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash said, hugging the pink-haired woman.

"Gary will be weak at first, but he'll recover fully. There will be some scars, and that can't be helped," she said finally, passing judgment on his condition. That's what she was paid to do, after all. Ash took a seat next to Gary, nervously biting his lower lip.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Gary opened his eyes slowly. He felt his chest restricted by something, and something attached to his arm. Looking around, he realized he was in a Pokemon Center. The last thing he remembered was Ash carrying him somewhere. This must have been where. He groaned as he tried to sit up; the bandages on his chest barely let him move, not to mention his spine still hurt.

"Gary!"

The said boy turned his head, a little too quickly, and saw Ash sitting next to the bed, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. He unconsciously shied away from Ash, and the other sighed.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you Gary, and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I knew that I needed to be here when you woke up. I… let my rage control me. I hadn't been able to overcome my grief for Pikachu, and so I made you feel what I felt. But now, I realize how many people I must have hurt through those two years. I just wish it hadn't been an event like this that brought me out of my guilt and hatred of the world," Ash said softly. "I'm so sorry. I'll leave you now, and you won't ever have to see me again. I know you want me in jail, and Nurse Joy said it was up to you, so I'll go turn myself in." He stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Ash…" Gary mumbled. When he didn't stop, he spoke louder. "Ash. Stay. I need to talk to you." Ash turned, surprised. He sat back down in the chair he'd previously vacated. "I know that you were in a lot of pain. That doesn't excuse your actions, but it makes me understand that you weren't quite all there. I was so surprised by who you'd become that I couldn't help saying what I said. And look, Ashy-boy, you're back to who you were," Gary said with a weak smile. "Though I hope you got a little more mature with this. I know no one can replace Pikachu in your soul, but something else can fill the gap he left." Gary stared hard at Ash. "I know you hurt me, but I still like you. I think it's what they call love, Ash. If that scares you, the thought of me being in love with you, tell me. I'll go to Sinnoh and pursue my studies and leave you alone."

"Don't leave me, please," Ash murmured loud enough for Gary to hear. "The past few days that you've been asleep made me realize that you were what I needed to fill the hole inside of me. I think I'd go backwards to where I was if you left me," he admitted, tears gently rolling down his cheeks. Gary reached one hand towards Ash and took his hand. Ash gently kissed Gary's hand.

"Your mother will be overjoyed to see you back to your old self. She blames herself for the violent nature you took on, you know," Gary informed Ash softly. "She feels that she shouldn't have let you open the package, that she should have checked it first. Call her, for me, so she knows you're back." Ash nodded and stood, letting go of Gary's hand. He made his way over to the telephone.

"Gary? You'll have to stay here for another day or so," Nurse Joy said matter-of-factly, and Gary knew that it would be stupid to argue with her, though he had to wonder how long she had been standing there.

"How much of that did you see?" he asked nervously. His ego would be ruined if anyone had seen that rare display of raw emotion.

"I saw most of it, but I'm a nurse. Doctor-patient privacy, you know," she said with a wink. "Don't exert yourself, and take painkillers. Your spinal column is bruised pretty badly, so you'll have to keep your spine straight." She giggled. "Looks like you'll either have to abstain or be top," she said with a smirk, and Gary turned bright pink.

"Wha—why—who—I don't—" Gary spluttered, eyes wide. Joy laughed outright.

"Just kidding. Take it slowly, you're still recovering!" she commanded, walking out of the room. Gary laughed a little, though he was still shocked by her brash statement. Ash returned, a grin on his face.

"Mom was so happy," he announced, sitting beside Gary on the bed. Gary gave Ash a pointed, I-told-you-so look. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Well, Ashy-boy, I'm here for another day, so Nurse Joy says. She said some other things too," he mumbled, blushing again. Ash laughed. "But do you plan on staying here with me until then? You need to sleep, you really need a shower, and get rid of those awful black clothes. You're done mourning. Celebrate life. I'm not dead, dammit!" Ash smiled at Gary's vehemence, and the returning of his cocky nature. Ash leaned down and kissed Gary's lips chastely.

"I know you're not dead," he said softly, ruffling Gary's hair. "Alright, I'll be back to get you tomorrow. I'll bring you clothes. I doubt you want to be in public in a hospital gown."

"Damn right!" Gary huffed, leaning back on his pillow.

Ash laughed, shaking his head, as he exited.

-X-X-X- Six months later… -X-X-X-

Ash knelt in front of a Pikachu statue somewhere in a forest. He placed a bouquet of flowers at its base. He stood, dry eyed, not having shed a tear this time, and walked to the boy he'd come with. He leaned up and kissed the auburn-haired male, taking his hand.

"Thanks for coming with me today," Ash said softly. "I felt I needed to do that. A final closure, even though it's been a long time since I moved on. I love you, Gary."

Gary smiled and hugged the smaller boy, kissing the top of his head.

"I know it was hard for you to move on initially, even with me here, but you've found a way to fill that emptiness within. I'm glad I'm there for you. I love you, Ash."

And that's all Ash needed to hear.

A/N- Phew. That was fun to write, and it took a shockingly short time, but it was slightly mentally draining. I had intense writer's block on my Harry Potter story, and then inspiration for this one hit. I'm thinking of continuing this one, with how their relationship develops and continues, but I'm not sure, so review and let me know!

Even if you don't care about a continuation, review, or the little gnomes will hunt you down with garden tools. :)

With love,

Amy Ehren


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